It is kind of hard to fail a draft where you have the overall #2 pick, even harder when the top prospect is available. Diamondbacks start off the 2022 draft with a no brainer, taking Druw Jones. However they did not stop there, they had an amazing draft outside of the #2 pick. In this article I will break down exactly what happen, and exactly who we got!
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Arizona took over headlines when at the #2 pick the Diamondbacks select CF Druw Jones, Wesleyan HS (GA). They say you build a great team on defense up the middle, and at CF it is hard to find a prospect in the last decade with the buzz this kid has. On top of his elite defense, his solid frame and quick hands should allow him to be a great hitter, and once he bulks up and looks more like a major leaguer, the power at the plate could be immense. True superstar potential, as this kid grew up with one of the best center fielders of all time as a father, coach, and mentor in 10x gold glover Andruw Jones. Who looks like his instincts have definitely transferred to his son, Druw. His senior year of high school he boasted a slash line of .570/.675/1.026 and an ops of 1.702.
Pick grade: A+++
With the 34th pick the Diamondbacks kept the momentum going and selected P Landon Sims, Mississippi State. Another Georgia native, the 21 year old is recovering from Tommy John surgery, throws a mid 90’s fastball and has a deadly strikeout pitch with a low 80’s slider that disappears out of the zone. It will be interesting if he can become a solid starter or end up being a closer at the big league level, one thing that can answer that question is the development of a third pitch. He said he has been working on adding a change-up to his arsenal, and if he does this with consistent command, I see starter written all over him. In 2 seasons at MSU he pitched to the tune of 6-0 as a starter, 13 saves as a closer, and had an ERA of 1.82 with 123 strikeouts on 69.1 innings pitched.
Pick grade: B-
D-Backs add even more hype to the franchise with the #43 pick, 1B Ivan Melendez, Texas. The “Hispanic Titanic” not only set a school record for home runs last year with 32, he hit 94 RBI’s and 214 total bases which all three stats lead the nation. The 2022 Golden Spikes Award winner also hit a game winning bomb in the 2021 College World Series showing he is ready for big moments, and bright lights.
Pick grade: A
In the 3rd round with the 82nd pick, Arizona selected P Nate Savino, Virginia. The lefty pitched an amazing collegiate career with the Cavilers, even being named the ACC baseball player of the week after pitching a complete game shutout against Duke on 103 pitches. The 6’3 210 pound Virginia native has potential to be a strong bullpen guy in the majors for years to come, and is exactly what the D-Backs need in my opinion.
Pick grade: B+
Pick #108 for the Diamondbacks became P Dylan Ray, Alabama. The long-haired burley pitcher did not blow anybody away with his stats during his collegiate career, what he did do was show the ability to get the team out of trouble when they needed it most. His fearless approach on the mound gave his team tough outs, and a confidence that carried into the hitting side of the inning. With his broad shoulders, the D-Backs believe he can overtime, learn to over power batters and is seen as a set-up or closer that can be highly successful.
Pick grade: C++
With the 138th pick the D-Backs choose SS Andrew Pintar, BYU. After being named 2021 freshman of the year in the West Coast Conference, batting an average of .333 with 9 homers, he missed all of last season with a shoulder injury and is likely to not to fully recover until 2023. Arizona took a gamble in the 5th round on a kid that if healthy would of been a sure fire 1st or 2nd round pick hoping he can recover and get back to dominating on the baseball diamond.
Pick grade: B
The 6th round pick #168 turned into P Will Mabrey, Tennessee. The junior pitched in 29 games last season for the Vols, recording 52 strikeouts and a 2.63 ERA. Impressive! The kid is 6 foot even and 185 pounds, he will have to learn how to lean on command since he will not over power many big league hitters. He pitched to weak contact giving up a ton of ground balls, which is a promising sign.
Pick grade: A-
At pick #198 and #228 the Diamondbacks select a pair of high school short stops. At #198 Local kid, SS Demetroi Crisantes, Nogalez HS (AZ). At #228 SS Adrian Rodriguez, International Baseball Academy (PR). Both kids have a youthful spark the club will keep a close eye on going through the minors.
Picks grade: C+, C+
The 9th round selection #258 is C Gavin Logan, Oregon St. He is solid on both sides, only having 1 error his last year in college, and batting .281 with decent power for a catcher. The first team All Pac-12 player had 406 putouts and caught 6 runners stealing.
Pick grade: A
Pick #288 in the 10th round of the draft, OF Brett Johnson, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. His final season for the Cougars he belted 23 home runs and hit an amazing average of .350. He was the heart of the lineup as well as being named to the All-Ohio Valley first team. In the field he only gave up 2 errors all season with a fielding percentage of .986. Only bad thing you can say is he is a little undersized being listed at 5’11 which seems like a stretch.
Pick grade: B+
In rounds 11, 12, and 13 the Arizona Diamondbacks gives the fanbase a sigh of relief, choosing to take 3 pitchers in a row, which is what the D-Backs need most. Pick #318 P Spencer Giesting, UNC Charolette. Pick #348 P Malachi Witherspoon, Fletcher HS (FL). Pick #378 P Eli Saul, Sacramento State. Hopefully at least one of these guys can be a big part of the major league club one day.
Pick grade: (Based on needs) A, A, A
In the 14th round pick #408 became OF Kevin Graham, Ole Miss. As a junior in 2021 he had a reached on-base streak of 60, which was the longest in college baseball, reaching on-base in 65-67 games. Last season he showed dare I say Ichiro-like hitting skills, peppering the field with singles batting an average of .335 with 11 homers. This is one of those kids that if given the chance, I see him succeeding, every time, against all odds. 4-5 years from now and this kid could be the steal of the 2022 MLB Draft.
Pick grade: A+
Pick #438 SS Joshua Day, Missouri. Simply put this kid was a stud last season, starting 50 games at SS he lead the team in almost every hitting stat. You ready? .350 average, 50 runs, 29 RBI’s, .508 slugging pct, 23 multi-hit games, .425 on-base percentage, started the season on a 7 game hit streak, and ended it on a 5 game hit streak, all while stealing 8 bags. Whew! Let me catch my breath. Long story short this kid can HIT!
Pick grade: A+
The 16th round pick #468 C David Martin, Cal Baptist. He not only put together a 23 game hitting streak, he was also named All-Wac first team honors hitting at .395 with an on-base percentage of .506 all while slugging .542. In baseball terms this kid is elite at the plate. Hopefully he can continue to mash as he faces tougher competition. He is a steal for a 16th round pick.
Pick grade: A+
With the #498 pick D-Backs select P Logan Clayton, Houston. The 6’5 pitchers pitched to a record 7-4 with an ERA above 5 for the Cougars last year.
Pick grade: D (but hey, we need pitching and you never know)
Pick #528 turned into SS Aiva Arquette, St. Louis HS (HI). The kid from Hawaii manage to sneak his way into the MLB top 200 prospects this for draft class and the Diamondbacks took a gamble on him late in the draft, which if the list is correct got a steal at pick #528.
Pick grade: B
19th round the Diamondbacks go back to their backyard and draft Arizona native OF Gavin Turley, Hamilton HS (AZ). The kid from Chandler Arizona committed to Oregon State but after winning High School Player of the year, the D-Backs give him an invitation to skip school.
Pick grade: B
With the last pick of the 2022 Draft, the Diamondbacks select at pick #588 P Riley Kelly, Tustin HS (CA). Why not take a pitcher with our last pick, being it is our biggest need moving forward for a franchise with a ton of hitting depth and youth.
Pick grade: C+
To wrap up this draft, which in my opinion the Arizona Diamondbacks did better than anyone expected, drafting for needs (pitching, pitching, pitching) as well as picking up great prospects in the field. There are 7-8 picks I am surprised were even available for the D-backs and they did not hesitate pulling the trigger showing big ‘you know whats’ and telling the fans, we plan to win and we plan to win sooner rather than later.
Overall Draft grade: A+
